Convertible chair.



I. I. SOUTH. CONVERTIBLE CHAIR.

l APPLICATION FILID MAY ICI` 191'6. LQSSQ., y

Patented Aug. 28, 14917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- IIIIIII IIIII III ATTO R N EY J'. I. SOUTH.

CONVERTIBLE CHAIRA APPL|CAT|0N FILED MAY l0. ,915- 1,238,452 PatentedAug. 28,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

w f3 muuu nmmmul Q90 ATTORNEY L238fll52.

JEROME JOHN soUTII, 0E MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

CONVERTIBLE CHAIR.

Speoicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented A1102. 2d, 19ML Application filed. May 10, 1916. Serial No.96,617.

To all /w/wm it may concern Be it known that l, JEROME J'. SOUTH, acitizen of the. United States,` residing at Memphis, in the county ofShelby and State of rlennessee7 have invented a new and usefulConvertible Chair, of which the followino' is a specification.

lhis invention has reference to convertible chairs, and its object is toprovide a chairy which may be converted from a chair to a table, or viceversa, at will.

ln accordance with the present invention the chair comprises a stool orbody part and an extended plane portion serving either as theback of thechair or the top of the table, and said back or table top is providedwith supports constituting` the arms of the chair when the device isused as a chair, while the stool part has members `coacting with thearms, and both the arms andsaid members,`

which latter are in the nature of posts, have interlocking deviceswhereby that portion ofthe chair constituting the back is movable toconvert the device into a table and is securely held in either positionwithout the aid of locks or latches or similar devices which must beseparately manipulated. The securing devices hold the table top in thetable position or in thechair-back position securely in a manner to beresistant against any ordinary forces liable to disturb the properrelation of the parts, but

readily yieldable to purposely applied. forces changing the chanto atable, or vice versa. The invention will be best understood from aconsideration of the following de-.

tailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawingsforming part of this specification, with the further understanding thatwhile the drawings show a practical form of the invention the latter isnot confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings,but may be changed and modilied so long` as such changes andmodifications come within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings f f Figure l is avperspectiveview of the chair structurewith the parts related to constitute a chair. l r

Fig. Q'is a perspective view of the strucl ture with the parts relatedto constitute a table and showing a drawer in the body or stool part ofthe chair drawn out.

Fig. 3 is a detail elevation with some parts in section showing otherparte in dotted lines, and indicating the position assumed by theinterlocking parts either in assembly or while being` disengaged.

Fig. 311 is a section on the line SLL-3 Fig. 3.

Fig. 4.- is a longitudinal vertical section through the connecting partsbetween the table top `and body of the chair when in the table position.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the parts assembled asachair.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing the saine parts whenassociated'as a table.

Fig. 7 is a detail section to show a buffer structure preventing thechair back from engaging the chair legs.

Fig. 8 isan elevation of a portion of the chair structure showing ameans for temporarily locking the parts against displacement.

Fig. Fig. 8.

Referring to the drawings there is shown a chair base or stool l withlegs 2 and a seat portion 8 designed when the structure is used as achair to receive a seat cushion 4l. The legs are ordinarily providedwith casters 5 and the base may have a box or body portion 6 into andout of which there is arranged to slide a drawer 7 having a front 8,which, in the particular showing of the drawings, is so arranged as toconstitute the front panel 8 of the body 6. This panel S is made tosimulate other panels of the body portion 6 connecting the legs 2, sothat when the drawer is pushed in the fact that the body of the chair isprovided with a drawer is unnoticeable. This feature may be made more orless secret by providing a hidden lock accessible from only the underpart of the chair, so that only those knowing the secret of the chairwill be able to open the drawer, while to others the presence of adrawer could not be suspected.

Secured to each side panel of the body 6 about midway of the lengththereof and rising above the top of the stool part of the chair areposts 9 each having an elongated socket plate l0 set into its outer faceand secured to the posts by screws 1l or in any other suitable manner.The socket plate l0 tapers from one end tothe other, the wide end beingthe top in the installed position of the plate and being there freelyopen. The socket plate is in the main a flat plate with marginal flangesl2, 13 extending lengthwise of the` sides ofthe plate. The 'iange 9 is asection on the line 9 9 of near the upper or wider end of the plate hasa notch 14 cut out of it to afdepth less than the depth of the flange,while the flange 13 stops short of the upper end of the socket plate,the post being correspondingly cut away, as indicated at 15.

Adapted to the socket plate 10 is a taper plate 16 having a marginalflange 17 extendingall about it except for a cut away portion leaving anopening 18 therein at one side near the smaller end of the plate.Extending along the longitudinal center line of the plate throughout thegreater portion of its length is a slot 19 opening through a sideextension 2O at the side of the plate where the flange 17 is omitted. Atthe small end the plate is rounded and is provided with a longitudinallyextended lug or nose 21' for a purpose which will hereinafter appear.Theplate 16 is provided with holes 22 at suitable points along themarginal portion near the flange 17 for the passage of screws 23.

The plate 10 near the wide end midway between the sides of the plate isformed with an outstanding lug 24 provided with a circumferentialchannel 25 next to the plate, wherefore the lug is in the form of achanneled or headed lug. The neck of the lug is of such diameter as tobe readily accominodated in the slot 19 and to pass into and out of ltheslot through the side extension 20, while the length of the neck of thelug corresponds to the thickness of the plate 16 where traversed by theslot 19, so that the headed lug 24 when in the slot 19 serves as aretaining or holding member for the plate 16, but permittinglongitudinal and rocking movements of the plate 16, all for a purpose tobe described.

There is also provided a plane member 25a of sufiicient size to serveeither as a chair back or as a table top. Ordinarily thc plane member25a is somewhat longer than wide, although any particular shape is notobligatory. It is, however', wider than the stool portion of the chair.Attached tothe member 25L are arms 26, each having curvedside portions27 and rounded at the ends remote from the member 25, as indicated at2S. The particular curvature described is not obligatory but providesconvenient arm supports when the device is being used as a chair. Theplates 16 are made fast to what may be termed the arms 26 bythe screws23,

and the spread of the larms is such that when the parts are assembledthe larms are exterior to the posts 9, although even in this respectsuoli particular positioning of the parts is not obligatory, especiallyas the plates 10 and 16 are rights and lefts made ofv cast or stampedmetal, and, therefore, the arms may be placed either between or exteriorto the posts 9. The plates or castings 16 fare disposed lengthwise ofthe arms and therefore perpendicular to the plane of the member 25a.

yConsidering the device as a chair, the member 25a constitutes theback-of the cha-ir and the members 26 the arms of the chair. Inassembling the back and arms the parts are first related as shown inFig. 3, that is, the back and arms are tipped with the front ends of thearms lower than the rear ends thereof, and sufficiently to permit thenecks of the lugs 24 to enter the lateral openings 20 of the slots 19with, however, the nose 21 of each plate 16 entering the Yrespective,socket plate 10 in such relation to the flange 12 thereof as to escapeinterference therewith. When, however, the main part of the slot 19 isreached the nose 21 is opposite the cutaway portion or recess 14 of theflange 12, and may enter the latter. Since this cut away portion doesnot extend to the full depth of the flange 12 the nose'21 is of lessextent laterally of the plate 16 than is the flange 17. Immediatelyadjacent to the nose 21 the narrow end of the plate 16 isformed with arounded shoulder 29 engaging that portion of the flange 12 between therecess 14 and the wide end of the plate 10. This prevents the plate 16with the arm carrying it from moving lengthwise of the plate 16 when thearm is substantially horizontahsince the slot 19 then in line with thelug 24 would otherwise permit suoli movement. That end of the slot 19toward the nose 21 has a slight terminal inset 30 forming a seat for theneck of thc button 24 when it is in the longitudinal 100 center line ofthe plate 16, and then the nose 21 hooks undei' that end wall of therecess 14 toward the large end of the plate 10. Under thesecircumstances the arms 26 drop at the ends toward the member 25a untilthe V105 then lower edges of the plates 16, which plates are about or alittle lower' than the horizontal enter the recesses 15 in the posts 9and bear B v means of snap buttons 32 in "part car- 120` ried by thechairback 25;L and in part carried by a cushion 33,such a cushion ismade fast to the inner face of the back 25a in coactive relation to theseat cushion 4, while both cushions may bereadily removed when i notneeded. The snapfbuttons 32are usually of the ordinary type of snapbutton.

Vhile the weight of the chair back 25a is usually sufficient'to hold itinv place, it is quite possible that av heavy person seated in the chairwill on attempting to rise there- Afrom press with considerableweight onthe then outer or front ends of the arms 26, and such pressure might attimes be suiiicient to raise the back of the chair. This is avoided byproviding a spring catch 33 o`n the back 25L and a keeper 34: at anappropriate point on one of the legs 2, so that the catch 33 will snapinto the keeper 3lwhen the back 25ZL is in the lowered position likethat shown in Fig. 1.

By releasing the chair back 25 from the keepeil 34, the chair back maybe readily lifted, turning about the lugs 241 as pivots until the platesor castings 16 are in upright positions, whereupon the back 25*l thenserving as a table top is lowered with the plates or castings 16entering the socket plates 10 until they are firmly lodged therein,being centered and held by the inner taper walls 'of the iianges 12 and13, and the outer taper walls of the flange 17, the plate 16 readilymoving'to such position because of the presence of the slot 19, thewalls of which surround the neck of the lug 24. New the posts 9 and arms26 with the coacting plates 10 and 16 rigidly support the table in thelevel or table position against any possibility of displacement otherthan designed displacement by lifting the table member 252L until thelug 24 is once more at the end 30 of the slot 19, whereupon the tabletop 25' may be lowered to the position shown in Fig. 1 when such tabletop becomes a chair back. I

In both conditions, thatis, with the device arranged for use asa 'chairor arranged for use as a table the parts are eiiec'tiv'ely connectedagainst accidental displacement and are resistant to all ordinaryforces, 'eX- cept those purposely applied to change the device fromonekind of use to the other. When used as a chair the chair back readilygravitates to its proper position to there automatically lock, becauseof the catch 33L and keeper 34, but even in the absence of such catch itis proofagaiiist displacement except to certain extraordinary forcesseldom applied for the action of gravity greatly preponderates, and itis only when extra heavy forces are applied at the outer extremities ofthe ainis 26 that the back is `at all liable to displacement.

Vhen the member 25a is moved yto the table position the connections. areparticularly rigid because of theaction of gravity and thc taper form ofthe connecting parts necessitating the lifting` of the mcinber 252L thenconstituting` the table top to a considerable height before it can bemoved to the chair back position. Under such conditions the table top isnot 4only very rigidly connected to the stool partof the chair, butmaintains its position by gravity (against disturbing forces.

Should it be desired to disconnect the member 25a with the arms 26 fromthe stool portion of the chair, this is readily accomplished by areversal of the action of assemblage indicated in Fig. 3.,

1n neither instance is it necessary to employ any tools, or todisconnect the fastening devices eXcept the simple movement of the catch33 `to the unlatched position when the catch 33 is present.

Certain of the following claims are drawn in su'iiciently comprehensivelanguage to cover such subject matter of my application, No. 111,221,filed July 25, 1916, for a convertible chair as is common to bothapplications. For instance, the chairs in both Vcases have a basicportion with uprights and preferably single posts on opposite sidesrising above the basic portion and located about midway between thefront and back of the basic portion. r1`he chair back, which isvconvertible into a table top, has arms on opposite sides liXed to theback and projecting` therefrom in substantially perpendicular relationthereto and so spread apart as to embrace the posts, so that the armsare eX- terior to the posts. Furthermore, in both cases the arms andposts are elongated and are arranged to interlock, when associatedlengthwise, to hold the chair back firmly in the table position, withtheposts and arms constitutingthe sole support for the table top in thetable position and practically the sole support for the chair back whenin the latter position.

What is claimed is:

1. A convertible 'chair and table structure, comprising a basic portionor support with posts rising therefrom on opposite sides, a back memberfor the chair having arms on opposite sides constituting arm rests forthe user of the chair, and coacting taper members on the posts and armsmovable one into and out `of the other for holding the back member ineither the `chair or table position.

2. A convertible chair and table structure, comprising a basic portionor support with members uprising 'from thereof, a back member for thechair, and arms constituting the arm rests of the chair, said arms beingfixed t'o and projecting from the back member, and coactingautomatically interlocking devices on the upstanding members and thearms, respectively, aiid having means for supporting the arms and backmember and locking the latter in the table position and also havingmeans for supporting and holding the arms and back member in thechair-back position.

3. A convertible chair and table structure, comprising a basic portionor support with posts rising therefrom on opposite sides, a back memberfor the chair comprising a table with arms on opposite 4sidesconstitutarm rests for the user of the chair, and

opposite dos coacting taper members on the posts and arms pivotallyconnected together and one movable into and out of telescoping relationto the other and when in the telescoping relation holding the chair backmember in the table position. l

4. A convertible chair and table structure,

.to the arms and telescoping into and movable out of the socket platesto support the back member either in the chair-back position-or in thetable position.

l 5. A convertible chair and table structure, comprising a basic portionor support with posts rising therefrom on opposite sides, a back memberhaving a plane portion and arms on opposite sides thereof extendingperpendicularly to the plane portion and constituting arm rests for theuser of the chair, and connections between the arms and posts leachcomprising a taper socket plate on a respective post with said socketplate having the wide end uppermost and adj acent thereto provided withan outstanding headedv lug, and said plate having side flanges with onerecessed near the wide end of the plate and the other cut away near thewide end of the plate, and another plate Lfast to a 'respective arm,said second plate having a longitudinal slot with a side opening adaptedto receive the headed lug, and at the small end provided with a noseadapted to enter the recess in one of the side flanges of the socketplate.

6. A connecting means for the body and back portions of a convertiblechair and table structure, comprising` two plates each longitudinallytapered with one adapted to telescope in the other, one of the plateshaving side flanges with one flange recessed near the large end of theplate and the other flange cut away near the same end of the plate, andsaid plate near the large end having an intermediately located headedlug projecting from the plate, and the other plate having a`longitudinal central slot with a laterally offstanding outlet near thesmall end of the plate to receive the headed lug,

v and said second plate having at its small end a longitudinallyprojecting nose and adjacent to the nose provided with a roundedshoulder, said nose being adapted to enter the recess on thecorresponding side flange of the plate and the second plate beingadapted to the cut away portion of the second-named flange of thefirst-named plate.

7. A convertible chairy and table structure, comprising a, basic portionprovided with upstanding postson opposite sides, a back membercomprising a plane portion and arms projecting from one face thereofnear opposite sides. and spaced to be lodged exterior to the posts, andcoacting pairs of connecting members between the posts and arms, eachpair of members having one of its elements carried by the respectivepost on the outer face thereof and the other ele ment being carried bythe respective arm on the inner face thereof, said elements of each pairbeing slidable one on the other and also pivoted one to the other andmovable into automatic locking relation when the back member is movedlinto position to constitute a chair back and when it is positioned toconstitute a table. p j

8. A convertible chair and table structure, comprising a basic portion,single posts upstanding at each side of and substantially midway betweenthe front and back of the basic portion, a back member havingfixed armsat each side projecting therefrom substantially midway between the endsof the back member, and means for pivotally connecting the posts andarms together so as to permit of a movement of the back mem ber from thechair back position tothe table position, the arms of the chair backembracing the posts rising from the base, and said arms and postsconstituting the sole supporting means for the Vback in `the tableposition. v

9. A convertible chair andtable structure, comprising a basicportionhaving single upstanding posts at the opposite sides, a back.member having xed arms at each lside, and means for pivotally connectingthe arms and posts together so as to permitof a movement of the backfrom a chair back position to the table position, the arms interlockingwith the posts and constituting the sole support-` ing means for thebackin the table position. 10. A convertible chair and `table structure,comprising a basic portion and a back member, the basic portion havingupstand-` ing elongated posts on opposite sides and the back memberhaving elongated projecting arms f iXed thereto on opposite sides andinterlocking in one position with the posts, and said arms and postsconstituting the sole supporting means for the back member in the tableposition.v Y In ytestimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I havehereto affixed my signa* ture in the presence of two witnesses.

JEROME JOHN SOUTH. Witnesses:

HARRY. B. BUSH, J. FRANK WINCHESTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,`

Washington, I). G.

